Meeting with Andean tourist authorities and companies to improve competitiveness

A meeting with the theme "On the New Route to El Dorado: Opportunities and Challenges for Tourism in the Andean region" was held today in Lima with the participation of the tourism ministers of the Andean countries, Spanish Secretary General of Tourism Germán Porras, and CAF Executive President Enrique García. The event was sponsored by the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) and the Government of Spain.

CAF President Enrique García said that the meeting was clear evidence of the commitment of Andean governments and their respective organizations to improve the competitiveness of the region´s tourist industry and, through it, contribute to the generation of employment and improvement of the standard of living of the population.

The starting point of the meeting was the growth potential of the share of Andean countries - Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela - in the gigantic world market for travel and tourist services, whose global activity is estimated by the World Travel and Tourism Council at $4.5 trillion. The region’s share bears no relation to the wealth and variety of the tourist attractions offered by the five countries.

To contribute to substantially raising the competitiveness of the tourist industry in the Andean countries, the CAF is promoting the project "Improving Tourism in the Andean Region" with the cooperation of the Spanish government. The project uses the cluster approach (conglomerates of companies and organizations engaged in tourist activity in a specific region or territory). According to Michael Porter, a recognized academic expert on competitiveness, clusters are the natural spaces where competitive advantages are formed. The project focuses on a set of clusters in the five countries which show clear advantages for international tourism.

Action committees were formed in the five Andean countries to execute the project. These committees bring together the tourist authorities and the main private actors. After completing the adjustment, analysis and diagnosis phases in each country, the members of the committees met in Lima with a double purpose: establish the lines of action and commitments to implement the proposals aimed at reinforcing the competitiveness of the clusters; and identify forms of joint action for positioning the Andean region as a world tourist destination. The meeting discussed other topics of interest such as intra-regional tourism, and concluded with a series of commitments by the participants.

The participation of the Andean tourism ministers, the Spanish secretary of tourism, and the CAF executive president is clear evidence of the commitment of these governments and organizations to improving the competitiveness of the region´s tourist industry and, through it, contributing to the generation of employment and improvement of the standard of living of the population.